MANILA, Philippines—Expect American soldiers to stay on despite protests against their extended presence in Mindanao.

On Friday, ranking Filipino and American military officials marked the 50th year of the Mutual Defense Board with the signing of agreements on joint activities concerning counterterrorism, civil military operations and military exercises.

US Adm. Thomas Keating told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo that the two countries had achieved “a terrific accomplishment with half a century of Mutual Defense Board discussions between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Pacific Command,” which he currently heads.

The 50th Mutual Defense Board meeting of the two countries was to have been held in Hawaii in August. But it was postponed and instead held Friday at the AFP headquarters.

“Our conversations this morning included counterterrorism operations, maritime security, civil military operations and personnel exchanges, all of which would serve not just to sustain but [also] enhance the very strong alliance that we enjoy with the [Philippine military],” Keating said.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano said “a lot of items were discussed” at the Mutual Defense Board meeting and at the 3rd Security Engagement Board meeting, which was also held on Friday.

According to Yano, “several exercises” that are part of the RP-US Balikatan exercises have been lined up for the rest of the year until 2009. He did not elaborate.

Sightings of US troops

US troops were sighted after hostilities erupted last month in Central Mindanao between Philippine troops and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, following attacks by recalcitrant MILF commanders in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and Saranggani.

The attacks led by Commanders Ameril Ombra Kato, Abdullah Macapaar alias Bravo and Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian left scores of civilians dead and hundreds and thousands of residents displaced.

As Philippine troops hunted down the three Moro commanders and their followers, critics questioned the extended stay of US soldiers, who have been in Mindanao for military exercises and humanitarian activities since early 2000.

Philippine government officials quickly defended the US soldiers, saying the latter did not take part in military actions against the renegade MILF commanders or in pursuing local and foreign terrorists in the area.

The officials said the US soldiers were engaged in humanitarian activities in impoverished provinces in Mindanao and in assisting the Philippine military only in the medical evacuation of combat casualties.

‘Very important struggle’

Keating said “the struggle against violent extremism is national priority for our security forces and both of our governments.”

“The terrorists are indiscriminate. They are ruthless and they are relentless, and we at the Pacific Command have pledged to support the [AFP] everywhere we can. We will continue to win this very important struggle for both of our countries,” he said.

Asked whether the US military would back the AFP in pursuing the renegade Moro commanders, Keating said American troops would “support” the Philippine military in operations “against violent extremists throughout the Philippines.”

Yano echoed Keating in lauding the accomplishments of the Mutual Defense Board.

“We made a lot of breakthroughs in terms of the past years in our cooperation in combating terrorism and other nontraditional threats, particularly in the south, as well as in humanitarian assistance. So I’m very happy that on the 50th year, we have made a lot of significant gains in our US-RP partnership,” Yano said.

Technical info, humanitarian aid

In a separate interview, Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the AFP Western Mindanao Command which is hunting down Bravo in Lanao del Norte, said the US troops in Mindanao had been providing Filipino soldiers “technical information” useful in combat operations.

For example, government troops are using US-produced tactical maps of areas in Western Mindanao, Allaga said.

He said that earlier, the Philippine military had been making do with the map configured in 1952 by the National Mapping and Resource Information Agency.

“We are gaining much from [the US military],” he said.

On top of the technical assistance, the US troops are involved in humanitarian work that has benefited many residents of Mindanao, Allaga said.